Railways modernize their fleet - passenger association cautions about potential chokepoints

Sprucing Up the Steel Steeds - Passenger Group Warns of Service Reduction

Fleet of Trains Refurbished - Passenger Advisory Committee Highlights Potential Discrepancies - Railways modernize their fleet - passenger association cautions about potential chokepoints

Hey there! Let's dive into the revamped long-distance train fleet of Deutsche Bahn. But first, grab a cuppa!

The average age of their ICE and IC trains is set to plummet from the current 18 years to a sprightly 12 years by 2030. This transformation aims to boost reliability on the rails, but not without a hitch.

The passenger association, Pro Bahn, has raised the alarm. Keyboard cowboy, Lukas Ifflaender, fears that too many old trains will be kicked to the curb, and new ones won't replace them quickly enough, resulting in reduced train offerings on certain routes.

ICE 4 is Full Steam Ahead

Deutsche Bahn's modernization spree is in full throttle. In March last year, the final of a total of 137 brand-spankin'-new ICE 4 trains was delivered by manufacturer Siemens Mobility. This bad boy boasts bike storage spaces and at least 444 seats per train, cruising at speeds of up to 265 kilometers per hour[1]. They now give the ICE fleet a much-needed facelift.

The delivery of the ICE 3 Neo, a beefed-up version of the existing ICE-3 series, has also been underway for several years now. 90 of these trains are expected to be operational by 2028. They come equipped with frequency-transparent windows for better mobile phone reception and will be used on high-speed routes between North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich via Frankfurt and Stuttgart, as well as on international connections from Frankfurt to Amsterdam and Brussels[1].

ICE L Delivery Woes

There's trouble brewing with another new order: the ICE L from Spanish manufacturer Talgo. Delivery is expected in the second half of this year, with four of the trains not arriving until 2025[1]. Optically, these vehicles resemble Intercity trains more than ICE trains.

The railway company claims their fleet strategy is focused on modernizing and rejuvenating the fleet to stabilize operations[1]. This strategy seems to be working. The availability of ICE-4 and ICE-3 Neo trains is significantly higher than with older series, and through improved maintenance concepts, the share of drive failures has been reduced by 58 percent between 2019 and 2024[1].

However, the new trains haven't yet led to increased punctuality. More than a third of all long-distance trains are still tardy.

Pro Bahn Slams Chaotic Vehicle Strategy

Pro Bahn is skeptical about the railway company's figures. Ifflaender accuses DB of running a highly chaotic vehicle strategy. Older trains are being phased out, possibly leaving passengers high and dry on certain routes, especially on the Ost-West connections Wiesbaden-Frankfurt-Leipzig-Dresden and Hamburg-NRW-Bonn-Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Wien[1].

In April of this year, Deutsche Bahn retired 14 older ICE 3 trains. Ten more ICE T trains are also slated for removal by the end of the year, as they are considered unreliable and maintenance-intensive. Additionally, around three dozen ICE-2 trains, which have been in service since 1996, will be gradually phased out by the end of 2027[1].

However, it's uncertain whether the missing trains can be replaced quickly enough by the delayed new additions, potentially causing problems in service availability.

While the railway fleet is getting younger, not necessarily larger, the competitor Flixtrain has announced a larger train offensive. They've ordered around 30 new high-speed trains, with an option for 35 more, at a cost of up to 2.4 billion euros[1]. The delivery schedule remains a mystery.

[1] https://www.welt.de/verkehr/artikel214098413/Die-neuen-ICE-Talgo-schaffen-nicht-viel-aus.html[2] https://www.verkehr-ridge.de/news/10776252-deutsche-bahn-kauft-17-kiss-zuge-von-obd-an-12609905.html[3] https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/wisebech-extension-opens-up-regional-traffic-opportunities/102288.article

In this context, the community is encouraged to voice their concerns about the potential reduction in train services due to the phase-out of older trains and the delay in the delivery of new ones, especially in routes such as Wiesbaden-Frankfurt-Leipzig-Dresden and Hamburg-NRW-Bonn-Frankfurt-Nuremberg-Wien.

The need for vocational training in the transportation industry becomes increasingly vital, especially in the realm of public-transit and finance, to ensure a seamless transition of maintenance and operation of trains, as well as to address the challenges arising from the influx of new technology and equipment.

Read also: